Journal of

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of schema therapy and compassion-focused therapy on marital conflicts and differentiation of self among women affected by marital infidelity. This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest design with two treatment groups, in which 40 affected women were randomly assigned to schema therapy and compassion-focused therapy groups. Data were collected using validated questionnaires on marital conflicts and differentiation of self, and analyzed through multivariate analysis of covariance. The results indicated that both therapeutic approaches significantly reduced marital conflicts and enhanced differentiation of self, with significant differences observed between the two groups. Schema therapy demonstrated greater effectiveness in improving specific dimensions of marital conflicts, whereas compassion-focused therapy showed stronger effects on dimensions of differentiation of self. These findings highlight the critical role of specialized psychotherapeutic interventions in restoring psychological well-being and improving the quality of marital relationships among women affected by infidelity. They also emphasize the importance of tailoring therapeutic approaches to the individual needs and characteristics of clients. Furthermore, the results provide a scientific basis for the integrative and targeted use of these two therapeutic approaches in counseling and psychotherapy centers.

Based on the results, compassion-focused therapy appears to be an effective approach in reducing psychological vulnerability related to suicide through decreasing self-criticism, increasing self-compassion, and improving emotion regulation, and can be applied in preventive and therapeutic interventions.

Domestic violence during adolescence can be associated with various psychological consequences, including increased self-criticism and social anxiety. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) on self-criticism and social anxiety among adolescents with a history of domestic violence in Kerman, Iran, in 2025. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group. The statistical population consisted of adolescents with a history of domestic violence in Kerman. Thirty participants were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). Data were collected using the Self-Criticism Questionnaire and the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of Compassion-Focused Therapy, while the control group remained on a waitlist. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The results indicated that Compassion-Focused Therapy significantly reduced self-criticism and social anxiety among adolescents with a history of domestic violence compared with the control group (p < .05). These findings suggest that Compassion-Focused Therapy may serve as an effective intervention for reducing self-criticism and social anxiety among adolescents with a history of domestic violence.